


Eclipsed

by valda



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Ren's an ass, sort of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-07-24
Updated: 2016-07-24
Packaged: 2018-08-13 00:36:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,081
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7955248
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/valda/pseuds/valda
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The night before the first firing of Starkiller, General Hux seeks out Kylo Ren.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Eclipsed

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Jathis](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jathis/gifts).



> [This was written for a Tumblr prompt.](http://cosleia.tumblr.com/post/147879903373/hush-kylux) jathis asked: Hush Kylux

General Hux had a face that made his every emotion plain. Even if Supreme Leader had not forbidden him to probe Hux’s mind, Kylo would not have needed to. He saw the childish hope for camaraderie in Hux’s bright eyes and small smile, saw Hux’s face freeze in dismay at Kylo’s outright dismissal of the gesture. He heard in Hux’s voice the deep wound Kylo had inflicted with his criticism of the stormtrooper program. He saw the way Hux had flinched in anger in the presence of Supreme Leader, as though he, a useless, powerless being, had any right to be unhappy with Leader Snoke’s rebuke.

Kylo Ren was often wrong, but there were a few things of which he was absolutely certain: he was destined for darkness, Leader Snoke offered his best path to achieving that darkness, and everything else was irrelevant.

There was no need to ingratiate himself to Hux. There was no need to spend time thinking about him at all. General Hux was a simple man with a simple mind. He was nothing.

It was the eve before the firing of the weapon, Hux’s grandiose attempt to curry Supreme Leader’s favor, and Kylo was meditating. Technological terrors were nothing next to the Force; Hux’s actions were, as usual, meaningless. Still, Kylo sensed that the firing would be successful, that Supreme Leader’s plans would be furthered. It was infuriating that such a victory would come from so small a man, instead of from something Kylo had done. It made it difficult to settle himself. But Kylo supposed that at least the anger might help keep him the Light at bay. Perhaps that was why Supreme Leader required Kylo work with Hux to begin with.

“Supreme Leader is wise,” he murmured to himself, refocusing on his meditation. He had barely managed to clear his thoughts when he was snapped abruptly out of his trance-like state by the chiming of his door alert.

No one ever came to visit Kylo Ren—not here on Starkiller, anyway. _Hux_. He considered not even answering the summons, but there was always the off chance it was important. Kylo lurched to his feet, shaking out his cramping legs, and stalked over to slap at the door release.

Hux stood there in full uniform. As the hatch slid away he blinked in surprise, and Kylo remembered he wasn’t wearing the mask. Was this the first good look Hux had ever had of Kylo's face?

The general blinked again, then visibly collected himself. A smirk twitched at the corner of Kylo’s mouth.

“I—” Hux glanced down the corridor both ways, as if expecting to be overheard. “Can we speak?”

Kylo stepped aside just enough for Hux to slip past and enter his spartan living space. Hux couldn’t avoid brushing against him, and his eyes darted to Kylo’s face before quickly dropping away again. Hux strode to the viewport and clasped his hands behind his back.

After a moment of silence, Kylo was exasperated. “Is it about tomorrow?” he asked.

Hux stood with his back to Kylo, shoulders stiff. “I’m not entirely sure why I’m here,” he said.

Kylo grimaced. “I’m not interested in wasting my time, General.”

“Nor am I, Ren, believe me.” Hux unclasped his hands, thrust them down at his sides. Soon they were balling into fists.

“You’re interrupting my meditation,” Kylo informed him irritably. “What do you want?”

Hux let out an exasperated sigh. “I suppose it is about tomorrow.”

“Yes?” Kylo prompted.

“I. Well.” Hux spun around suddenly, crossing his arms, staring at Kylo as if daring him to laugh. “You’re the only one who might understand how I’m feeling.”

Hux knew Kylo was forbidden to probe his mind, so Kylo wasn’t sure how that tracked. “If you say so.”

“The things you do. The missions you undertake. The commands you give. They have far-reaching consequences, just like mine,” Hux said.

“Obviously?” Kylo attempted to glory in his irritation, to let it fuel his darker impulses. Somehow, such attempts always came out as a comment that sounded too much like something Han Solo might say. It didn’t really help.

“Must I spell it out? I’m _worried_ , Ren. I’m _nervous_. Tomorrow is _big_. It’s the proving ground for Starkiller. It’s the proving ground for _me_.”

Arrogant General Hux, nervous? Kylo had never seen evidence that Hux was anything but supremely overconfident. Was this another of his pathetic attempts to forge a connection with his co-commander?

But then, Kylo had never seen these mannerisms before either—the clenched fists, the crossed arms, the evasive eyes.

“Pathetic,” Kylo crowed, grinning.

Hux stiffened. “Yes, well,” he said. “Yes.” He looked away.

“What were you hoping I would do? Pat you on the head and tell you everything will be fine?”

“Of course not,” Hux snapped. “I—” His eyes darted around the room, as if he were frantically searching for something. “I don’t know why I’m here, good evening,” he said, suddenly barreling toward the door.

Kylo caught his arm, cocking his head to one side as the general jerked to a halt. “You’re crying,” he said.

Hux glared at him through the swiftly welling tears. “And I suppose you’ve never cried before, glorious master of the Knights of Ren.”

Kylo didn’t have an answer to that. His fingers tightened on Hux’s bicep.

Hux tried and failed to wrest his arm from Kylo’s grip. “Let go,” he seethed.

“It will, you know,” Kylo mumbled.

“What?”

“Be fine. Starkiller will fire and the Republic will be destroyed. You’ll prove yourself. I’ve seen it.”

“You’ve _seen_  it,” Hux scoffed, but there was a less-than-normal amount of bite to the jab. “That’s wonderful, Ren. I’m glad to know you had a _dream_  that I wouldn’t be a colossal failure.”

Kylo said nothing. He wasn’t allowed to read Hux’s thoughts, but, as before, he could read his face. There had been a tightness there up until just a moment ago. Now Hux’s face was falling slack with relief.

 _Pathetic_ , Kylo told himself. _Grasping at straws. Taking comfort from something he doesn’t even truly believe in._

Hux stalked away as soon as Kylo released his arm, striding out of Kylo’s quarters without looking back. Kylo watched him, watched his shoulders square up and his greatcoat billow around his ankles, and felt an odd confusion roiling in his gut.

The hatch closed, and Kylo took a long, deep breath that he hoped would be cleansing. It wasn’t, particularly.

He would avoid Starkiller tomorrow.

**Author's Note:**

> (The title used to be "And the Stars Did Wander Darkling", taken from Lord Byron's "Darkness"...the line right before that is "The bright sun was extinguish'd". The pretentiousness has bothered me for aeons and I finally decided to just change it two years later)


End file.
